


If I Gave You a Flower

by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot)



Series: Merlin Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur is Bad at Wooing, Fluff, M/M, Merlin's Magic has a Mind of it's Own, Merthur - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 16:33:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12112740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheloveofcamelot/pseuds/Leahelisabeth
Summary: For the prompt: “I got you a rose, it reminded me of you.” - Merthur! With flowers!





	If I Gave You a Flower

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ApprenticedMagician](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApprenticedMagician/gifts).



Sometimes the magic was exquisite, rushing through him like wildfire, dancing at his beck and call, doing his bidding without effort. And sometimes the magic was like this, full of fits and starts and hiccups, fighting his will with every moment. Merlin studied the rose in front of him with a critical eye. It wasn’t ugly exactly. In fact, some would say it was rather pretty. It had turned a deep navy blue with silver dusted on the edges of the petals like stars in a night sky. If he had been meaning to produce it, he might have even called it his finest work. 

“Red, you stupid flower,” he muttered. He stretched out his hand toward the bush once more and brought up the picture in his mind’s eye. He tried to hold it in as much detail as possible, the rich Camelot red, the gold gilding every petal and thorn. He felt the magic go out of him in another stutter and when he rushed forward to examine the bush, he was disappointed once more. It was still blue and silver but this time with a crescent moon shape glittering in silver on some of the petals. He groaned at his failure and noticed the sun was dipping toward the horizon and if he wanted to get Arthur’s dinner on the table in a timely manner, he could not continue to fuss with the roses. Maybe today was not the day for declarations and his magic knew that far better than he did. Maybe that was why it fought him at every turn.

He left the bush and ran back to the castle kitchens and tried to stuff his disappointment down deep. It wasn’t a total loss of an evening. Arthur did enjoy Merlin’s stews and this was one of his better ones in his opinion. He was setting the table when Arthur walked in.

“You should add another setting,” Arthur barked as he walked in.

“Are you expecting a guest?” Merlin asked, disappointed. He thought he might at least have Arthur to himself tonight.

“If all goes well,” Arthur said faintly, his cheeks a little green.

Merlin looked straight at Arthur for the first time since he walked in and noticed that he was trembling and pale. “Are you sick? Maybe you should sit down. Are you sure you’re in a fit state to be having guests?” He bustled toward Arthur with every intent of bullying him into his seat at the table.

“I’m alright, I just…” Arthur started and Merlin noticed that the prince was holding one hand behind his back.

“What?” Merlin started but Arthur cut him off by shoving a hand in his face.

“I got you a rose. It reminded me of you,” Arthur babbled. Merlin blinked as he recognized the flowers he had been agonizing over in the forest and he looked at Arthur uncertainly.

The look on Arthur’s face was one that Merlin was not familiar with. He looked nervous and Arthur never looked nervous. He also looked a little bit hopeful but that faded with every moment that Merlin stared at him without speaking.

And Merlin was afraid, so afraid, but he also knew that it was finally time. “I worked on these for so long this afternoon, but no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get them to turn out any other way but that.”

Arthur furrowed his brow. “They’re not real?”

Merlin sighed and reached out a hand between them and cupped his hand over the blossom. “They’re real...and something more.” He could feel his eyes flash gold but didn’t bother to close them or even look away from Arthur. He took his hand away and there, finally, was the rose that had been in his mind’s eye the whole day, crimson and gold. He looked at Arthur and willed him to see what it meant.

Arthur looked at him in shock and then in realization. “I don’t know how, but I think my heart knew that you must be magic. Because I’m surprised but somehow I’ve always known.”

Merlin smiled and opened his mouth to say something but then his eye caught on the second plate at the table. “Oh, you’re having guests. We should hide these. They might cause some questions.” And he turned to bustle away.

Arthur reached out and caught his hand. “I...um...I was actually hoping that you would join me for dinner.”

Merlin looked down at where Arthur held his hand and back up at the prince’s face where that stupid hopeful look was back and growing stronger. “Were you going to woo me with my own rose?” he asked indignantly.

Arthur blushed and bit his lip. “Maybe? I mean...if you wanted to be wooed.”

Merlin glared for a moment longer before finally having pity on Arthur. He stepped in closer and briefly pressed his lips to Arthur’s. “Well, if you went to all this trouble, you know, picking roses I created and inviting me to a dinner I cooked and set up, well how can I say no?”

Arthur grinned and pulled Merlin back in for a longer kiss this time. “This is the only beginning. There is much more wooing in store.”


End file.
